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kepone
30th December 2004, 17:19
ok, this may seem amateurish.. but i would like to know what the name of the style is from " the last samurai "..

i've been told its budo, or budo ryu, or bushido.. but when i look those up online, they look nothing like the " last samurai " style..

im very interested in learning this style, whatever it is.. im more interested in learning the philosophy of the technique, than the technique itself..

who can help me find out what this style is called? and also maybe point me in the direction of a school that teaches it in my city/state? ( Baltimore, Maryland )

i've got a few years of TKD under my belt, but i would like to learn something less brutal and more self enriching..

Chuck.Gordon
30th December 2004, 17:48
>ok, this may seem amateurish.. but i would like to know what the
>name of the style is from " the last samurai "..

Basically, what you say in the movie was Hollywood Ryu. It was not representative of any particular style or school.

>i've been told its budo, or budo ryu, or bushido.. but when i look
>those up online, they look nothing like the " last samurai " style..

Neither 'budo' nor 'bushido' are styles or schools. They are concepts. Budo simply means Way of War and bushido means Way of the Warrior. Neither are martial arts, but both are ideas that have connection to martial arts.

>point me in the direction of a school that teaches it in my
>city/state? ( Baltimore, Maryland )

There are probably several good dojo in easy reach of Baltimore, a good place to start is the US Kendo Federation (http://www.kendo-usa.org/) or All US Kendo Federation (ttp://www.auskf.info).

Many kendo dojo also teach iai, or at least will have an idea of any other Japanese sword schools in the area.

Good luck.

Chuck

Evan London
30th December 2004, 17:51
The style used is commonly referred to as "kobudo", translated as "classical Japanese Martial art". I believe the specific school used in the movie was Diato Ryu Akijujutsu for the hand to hand stuff, but don't quote me on that. The sword stuff I am unsure what ruy (school) they are demonstrating, but it is still "kobudo".

Living in Baltimore, you just missed the chance of a lifetime. for the past several years, up until June, Fumio Manaka Sensei, founder of the Jinenkan was living near Liberty Rd. He moved back to Japan but left a core of students who really know what they are doing. The group is led by Sandan Amada Charrier, who I believe is currently in Antarctica studying lava (she's a Grad student at Johns Hopkins). She should be back in a few weeks. If you wish to contact her her info is:

Jinenkan Baltimore Dojo
Dojocho Amanda Charrier, Sandan
500 W. University Parkway
Baltimore, MD 21210
Phone (410) 366-8855
fluxion@fellspt.charm.net.

I can't recommend her highly enough. If you have any further questions feel free to PM or e-mail me. E-mail is preferable.

Good Luck!
Ev

kepone
30th December 2004, 18:16
wow thats amazing, liberty road is 5 minutes from my house..

only one zip code away.. i will definitely be contacting them, i will let you guys know how it goes..

thanks a lot Evan

MarkF
31st December 2004, 10:14
kepone,

I look forward to your report but when you do come back, please sign your full name to your posts. Even though it is in your profile, it is one of four basic rules for posting messages here.

The are posted at the bottom (and top) of all pages. The easiest way is to use the signature feature in your User CP (found at the top of the page).

Otherwise, I am glad you asked about budo rather than leaping in, eyes closed.

Thanks.


Mark

Mikekill
9th January 2005, 21:48
My suggestion to you would be a little research on the Samurai, and the martial arts they practiced. My inclination is that they were practicing Jujutsu/Judo, and possibly Aikijujutsu. These styles would be represented today primarily through Judo and Aikido. Personally, I have found it difficult to find any traditional Jujutsu schools. You may have better luck if you live close to a big city. A book that may help you referencing traditional Japanese martial arts is "Secrets of the Samurai".

Good luck in your venture!

Chuck.Gordon
10th January 2005, 09:05
Originally posted by Mikekill
A book that may help you referencing traditional Japanese martial arts is "Secrets of the Samurai".

Sectrets is very pretty and quite an interesting read, but not particularly deeply researched. The authors say, for instance, that there are no more koryu and get some of their history a bit muddled. However, it was a sort of groundbreaker in its time and is still a good addition to any budo library, as long as you take the content with a grain of salt and look to other, better researched, sources to round out your education.

I reccommend that anyon ereally interested in Japanese budo look for:

Koryu Books:
Volume One: Koryu Bujutsu
Volume Two: Sword & Spirit
Volume Three: Keiko Shokon

Ellis Amdur:
Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions
Dueling with O-sensei

Karl Friday:
Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture
Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan (Warfare and History)
Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan

Donn Draeger:
Classical Budo
Classical Bujutsu
Modern Budo and Bujutsu

Good luck.

Chuck

Brian Owens
10th January 2005, 11:58
Originally posted by kepone
ok, this may seem amateurish.. but i would like to know what the name of the style is from "The Last Samurai."

I'm more interested in learning the philosophy of the technique, than the technique itself.

As has already been mentioned, the methods used in the movie were chosen based on how they would look, and were taken from several different arts, rather than representing any one art.

The stunt coordinator, Nick Powell, and the director, Ed Zwick, chose action sequences that they felt would convey the feeling of the times, but did not strive for perfect technical or historical accuracy.

Mr. Powell said, "We used some of the footwork from formal Kendo...But kendo is very modern, so to get more of a period feel we also used footwork from Aikido and jujutsu..."

Thinking back to the movie, two scenes play out especially strong in my mind. In one, the Algren character is walking through the village watching the goings on for the first time. He sees one of the bushi practicing unarmed defence against three opponents. That particular scene would be an example of methods taught in Aikido, Daito Ryu Aikijutsu, and Small Circle Jujutsu.

In the next, Algren has joined a group practicing sword techniques in a field, and Uji partners with him for the two-man drills. This scene could have been taken from the training in several styles of kenjutsu, Iaido, or Kendo Kata.

Because you have said that you are particularly interested in a philosophical approach, I recommend that you check schools in your area that teach Aikido and Iaido. A Web search using those terms as keywords (in seperate searches, not together) would also give you more of an idea of what those arts are. Visit some martial arts schools in your area and watch a class or two (any teacher who won't let you do so is one I would avoid) to get a taste for what they are teaching, and to see if the teaching style and the school's "personality" fit what you are seeking.

Lastly, it is evident from your post that you are not clear on such terms as Budo and Bushido. The books Chuck Gordon recommended, particularly the three volumes by Donn Draeger (collectively called The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan), would serve you well in learning more about what the Budo (Martial Ways) are, and what they mean today.

I also recommend Dave Lowry's Autumn Lightning. I found it to be a very good read, and the stories of the author's training, combined with tales and legends from Japanese history, I found to be quite interesting.

HTH.